Cullerton blames Rauner for latest snag in attempt to end impasse

Zbigniew Bzdak / Chicago Tribune

In this May 31, 2016 photo, Illinois Senate President John Cullerton, front, and Speaker of the House Michael J. Madigan speak at the State Capitol in Springfield. Cullerton said Wednesday that a series of closed-door meetings with the governor in recent days left him "frustrated" and questioning the governor's leadership.

In this May 31, 2016 photo, Illinois Senate President John Cullerton, front, and Speaker of the House Michael J. Madigan speak at the State Capitol in Springfield. Cullerton said Wednesday that a series of closed-door meetings with the governor in recent days left him "frustrated" and questioning the governor's leadership.

SenateDemocrats on Wednesday sought to pressure Republicans to vote for a sweeping plan designed to end the nearly two-year stalemate, an effort that fell flat as the GOP said final details needed to be worked out before they could sign off.

The move by Democratic Senate President John Cullerton amounted to an attempt to publicly point the finger at Republican Gov. Bruce Rauner, whom he repeatedly has blamed for pulling Republican support for the measure. Cullerton's Capitol news conference followed a series of closed-door meetings with the governor in recent days that left the Senate president "frustrated" and questioning the governor's leadership, suggesting Rauner doesn't understand the difference between governing and the business world he used to inhabit as a private equity investor.

"This isn't the private sector where I can just go around and fire people if they don't vote for something. I've got to convince them to vote for it. There's principles involved in this thing. We have interest groups that are working against us," said Cullerton, who has been in the legislature since 1979. "I understand this because I've done this a lot. But the governor doesn't apparently."

Asked to respond, Rauner spokeswoman Eleni Demertzis said: "The problem with Springfield politicians is they have been cutting bad deals for taxpayers for decades. It's why people and jobs are fleeing. It's time to get it right."

The actual voting was anticlimactic but showed the deep divide that still remains. Cullerton began by calling a relatively uncontroversial portion of the package that would allow towns to create special funds to pay off debt. It passed. But when he moved on to more divisive bills to freeze property taxes and change workers' compensation rules, Senate Republican leader Christine Radogno declined to call the measurers for a vote.

Radogno said conversations on the measures were ongoing, adding that the package is an all-or-nothing deal.

"While I appreciate the fact that you want to move on things, I wish we can do it all at once," Radogno said. "I don't want them to fail, I want to come to an agreement."

Senate Democrats are eager to act on the plan, commonly referred to as the "grand bargain," saying leaders of both parties have been working for its passage since January. They argue that time for action is running out, noting lawmakers are scheduled to head home for the summer May 31. The package of bills includes an income tax hike but also items Rauner has made a condition to a larger deal, which is why it's viewed as being a crucial first step before budget talks can begin.

Cullerton said it's important to get the measure over to the House so lawmakers there can contemplate their own changes before month's end. That's if the House decides to take up the measure at all, given that Democratic Speaker Michael Madigan has not been included in talks and has appointed his own people to work on the budget and negotiate with Rauner on his agenda items.

Republicans counter that a deal in the Senate is near, saying they want to get the proposal in the best shape possible before sending it to the House, where they fear Democrats who control the chamber will water down their ideas.

"If we send a weak package over to Mike Madigan, we know it's going to come back weaker," said Sen. Bill Brady, R-Bloomington.

Cullerton, however, said there may not be much more room to cut a deal. "You can only go so far and have votes to pass these bills," he said. "And we believe we have just about exhausted those efforts to compromise."

One of the primary hang-ups is Rauner's desire for a property tax freeze, which Democrats say is politically popular but would hurt local towns and school districts that rely on the money. Rauner has said if the state is going to increase income taxes, it also should provide relief for property owners who he says are being driven out of the state.

The other centers around changes to the workers' compensation system for employees hurt on the job. Rauner wants stricter standards in determining how much a seriously injured worker is paid. Democrats have long resisted those changes, saying they would hurt the middle class.

A version of this article appeared in print on May 11, 2017, in the News section of the Chicago Tribune with the headline "GOP: Senate deal not ready - Frustrated Cullerton blames Rauner for slog on budget deal" —
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